Rechargeable battery having a wall element and wall element therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to a rechargeable battery comprising a battery housing which has a cell cavity, or several cell cavities separated by dividing walls. One or more of the cell cavities have at least one respective positive and negative electrode, separated from each other by at least one separator, and a liquid electrolyte. One or more of the cell cavities have a respective wall element, which partitions the respective cell cavity into at least two volume chambers which communicate with one another. At least in the lower regions of the volume chambers, a communicating connection between the volume chambers for the liquid electrolytes is provided and in the upper region of the volume chambers, a pressure compensation connection between the volume chambers for assuring equal air pressure in the volume chambers communicating chambers is provided. Also disclosed is a wall element for such a rechargeable battery, and a battery housing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A rechargeable battery having a battery housing, which has a cell cavity or a plurality of cell cavities separated from one another by partition walls, wherein a positive and a negative electrode, separated from one another by at least one separator, and liquid electrolyte is provided in one or more of the cell cavities, and a wall element is also provided in one or more of the cell cavities, said wall element dividing the respective cell cavity into at least two volumes communicating with one another in the manner of communicating pipes, wherein, in the lower region of the volumes, a communicating connection is provided between the volumes for the liquid electrolyte, and, in the upper region of the volumes, a pressure compensation connection is provided between the volumes in order to ensure an equal air pressure in the volumes communicating with one another,
 wherein the wall element is formed as a separate component that can be inserted into a cell cavity, and wherein a wall portion located at a lower end section of the wall element has a region formed as an insertion chamfer, in which a wall portion of the wall element arranged on the end located at the lower end section runs at an incline with respect to the electrodes and separators of the cell cavity, 
 characterized in that the wall element comprises an integrally formed assembly aid element in the upper region, said assembly aid element being in the form of an inwardly arranged wall oriented approximately in the center of the wall element along a longitudinal axis of the wall element. 
 
     
     
       2. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that one, more or all openings are formed as apertures in the wall element, which are surrounded by the material of the wall element. 
     
     
       3. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the wall portion has a straight or convex contour. 
     
     
       4. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the wall element comprises a lower partition wall portion and an upper partition wall portion and also a substantially horizontally running central partition wall portion, which tightly connects the lower petition wall portion to the upper partition wall portion, wherein, when the wall element is inserted into a cell cavity, the upper, the central and the lower partition wall portion form a partition wall between the two volumes communicating with one another. 
     
     
       5. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the wall element can be fastened releasably in a cell cavity by means of a plug-in fastening. 
     
     
       6. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that at least one wall region of the wall element, which is intended to bear against a delimiting wall of the cell cavity, comprises an integrally formed sealing lip for sealing between the two volumes communicating with one another. 
     
     
       7. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that all edges of the wall element sliding along the separators during insertion of the wall element are rounded. 
     
     
       8. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the wall element comprises at least one partition wall portion, which extends from a delimiting wall of the cell cavity to an opposed delimiting wall of the cell cavity and forms a partition wall between the two volumes communicating with one another, and the wall element comprises side walls, which, when the wall element is inserted, bear in a planar manner against the delimiting walls of the cell cavity. 
     
     
       9. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 8 , characterized in that the longitudinal extension of the side walls in the longitudinal direction of the wall element reduces away from the partition wall portion. 
     
     
       10. The rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the wall element comprises at least one petition wall portion, which forms a partition wall between the two volumes communicating with one another, and the wall element comprises, at least in the lower region, at least one integrally formed spacer element, which, when the wall element is inserted, is arranged between the partition wall portion and a delimiting wall of the cell cavity opposite the partition wall portion, wherein, when the wall element is inserted, the partition wall portion is held by means of the spacer element at a distance from the opposed delimiting wall of the cell cavity against the force of separators protruding beyond the electrodes, said force acting on the partition wall portion. 
     
     
       11. A wall element for a rechargeable battery as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
       12. The wall element as claimed in  claim 11 , characterized in that one or more openings are provided in the lower region of the wall element, allowing for electrolyte to flow back and forth through said openings between the two volumes communicating with one another. 
     
     
       13. The wall element as claimed in  claim 11 , characterized in that the wall portion comprising the insertion chamfer has one or more openings, through which electrolyte can flow back and forth between the two volumes communicating with one another.